The Deer Trail
by ArlkatThePillowfighter
Summary: Wild!Dave AU. No SBURB. John and Dave. ((IF EVERYONE WHO CARES COULD JUST PEEK AT THE AUTHOR'S NOTE ON CH3 YOU'LL UNDERSTAND IF I DISAPPEAR FOR AWHILE))
1. Chapter 1

**Here's something cute I wrote. More to come.**

John stuffed his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker, walking down the trail he walked every day. It wasn't much, just an old deer trail that lead through the woods behind his house. About a mile or two long, it was wild and overgrown and full of animals.  
>This past year at school he hadn't actually made any friends, and so during his summer he was alone. But that was okay - he didn't value company much, anyways. Not since his Dad died of a heart attack two years ago.<br>John told him he shouldn't have made so much cake.  
>John shook his head, flopping the raven locks a bit as he did so. He didn't need to think about those things right now - not until he got to the river. That was his rule. He could mope and cry and be depressed all he wanted, but it had to be far in the forest where no one could see.<br>So he found the river. It was more of a stream, really - long, winding, and skinny. With the dark shade of blue, it reminded John of himself.  
>Despite his rule, he rarely felt sad near the river unless it was a very bad day. It just seemed light, happy, watching the water as it burbled down the banks. Deep in the forest where no one knew.<br>But today was not one of the days he would sit and smile as he watched. It hadn't been a particularly bad day in itself, moreover it had been fairly good for a normal day.  
>But today it had been exactly two years since his Dad's death.<br>So, yeah. Kinda depressing.  
>He kept his head down, black-framed glasses slipping down his nose a bit. He kept his blue eyes trained on the ground, and the bright yellow converse trekking it.<br>When he looked up he noticed a butterfly, just sort of flying about his head. He held out his finger, admiring it's fiery red wings as it landed. He smiled, feeling as if the forest itself was trying to cheer him up.  
>It wasn't working, but it was a nice gesture.<br>The butterfly flew away, and John found himself at the water's edge. He walked along the bank for a bit until he cane to his spot, the log he would sit on with his legs dangling over the water for hours.  
>It was as if his heart knew it was acceptable, because at that moment he felt a muted, stabbing emotion somewhere deep inside his chest. The moment he sat down he felt the change, the wave of confusing emotions that dragged him under. The tears flowed, unchecked and silent. He pressed his palms together, hanging his head, before shifting to rest his head in his hands.<br>He wasn't ready to be independent. He never had been. I mean, sure, he had been doing his own laundry and making his own meals for a while now, but this was different.  
>This was no feeling of safety at night, knowing that if something goes wrong, there's an adult there.<br>No one to go home to to tell about your day.  
>No one to make stupid jokes at your expense that you laugh at anyways.<br>It wasn't just independence.  
>It was loneliness.<br>He wouldn't exactly have to worry about anything like college or a job for another two years, he had plenty of money and had only been a sophomore last year. But that didn't mean he didn't think about what the hell he was going to do as a technical orphan in some small town no ones heard of in the middle of nowhere once those two years went by.  
>And believe me, two years go by fast.<br>He drew in a shaky breath, rubbing his eyes and adjusting his glasses. It hadn't seemed like that long, but it was starting to get darker and John was already tired of this.  
>After a moment he stood up, wiping his hands on his windbreaker and continuing defeatedly along the trail.<br>Snap.  
>He froze, head shooting up and looking around. He sure as hell hadn't stepped on anything. And there weren't any more bears or cougars in these woods now, right?<br>He didn't see any deer.  
>His pulse skyrocketing, he nervously began walking again. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he had stepped on something, after all. He could be mistaken.<br>Footsteps. Like they were right behind him.  
>He whirled around, eyes wide and panicked.<br>A voice in the back of his head laughed dryly. Wouldn't it be so ironic if John died on the same date as his father?  
>No. Mustn't think so morbidly.<br>It's nothing.  
>John swallowed. Hard.<br>"H-hello?" He called out, voice shaking but loud.  
>Nothing answered.<br>Paranoia took over. John ran.  
>His footsteps echoed, for almost ten minutes as he sprinted to his house.<br>He rocketed across the lawn, dew-covered shoes squeaking on the wooden deck as he shut and locked himself in the house.  
>His heart was still pounding as he sat down on the couch, halfheartedly putting on a Cruiser for movie night.<br>A couple of hours later he could've sworn he saw something - or someone - outside his window, but when he blinked it was gone.  
>"I-It... It's nothing.."<br>He slept in the room innermost of the house that night, and it didn't have any windows.  
>He still felt like someone was watching him.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2!**

After eight hours of vague nightmares, he awoke in a cold sweat with his teddy bear in hand.  
>Obviously, a kid of his age shouldn't have a teddy bear, but it was a gift from his Dad - way back. So, if you think it's inappropriate, screw you.<br>He ran a hand through his damp dark hair, slipping on his glasses and looking around the room. Looking down at himself, it was a sorry sight. He looked like a wet chihuahua.  
>Stripping off his flannel shirt, he trudged to the laundry room. He'd already had most of a load in the basket, he could add this in and start it. Pushing the button, he went to his room in his boxers to get a shirt or something.<br>He saw a flash, a dark shadow outside his window.  
>Nervously, he tugged on a pair of jeans and peered out the window, but he saw nothing.<br>He was about to go finish getting ready, when something popped up in front of him. A face, silver hair - he couldn't distinguish much as he lurched backwards.  
>Curiosity overwhelmed him, and he ran outside with only his jeans on. He practically sprinted around the house, but all he found were footprints and a handprint on the window.<br>Creepy.  
>After dressing properly, complete with white fedora, John made his way outside once again. He searched for hours, but found nothing.<br>He stood on his lawn for a few minutes, wondering if he was hallucinating.  
>Opening his door, it struck him that perhaps he was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. He sighed. Of course he had PTSD. He had everything.<br>As he entered the house, something felt off. It felt foreign, an odd feeling he hadn't experienced since his father had been in the house.  
>The hair raised on his neck.<br>Grimacing, he continued to the kitchen. Maybe some apple juice would calm his nerves. It always had.  
>Pouring a glass, he noticed the figure out of the corner of his eye. Instead of freaking out, he pretended he didn't notice. Just casually poured a second cupful.<br>He wasn't really sure what the phrase 'feed your demons' meant, but it probably wasn't as literal as this.  
>He set the glass out on the railing of the porch, retreating inside to watch from the window.<br>It was late afternoon now, and the sky glowed burnt orange.  
>Watching a movie but keeping tabs on the window in his peripherals, John managed to waste two hours being on edge.<br>Although not for nothing.  
>When he finally couldn't help himself and looked outside, the glass was empty.<br>Weird, he hadn't seen anything.  
>Whatever. He had accomplished something - whatever it was, it liked apple juice.<br>He went to collect the cup, and he noticed a sticky note on the side of it.  
>"LANGERS"<br>John raised his eyebrows and laughed out loud.  
>Scratch that, it must love apple juice to be able to distinguish brands like that.<br>He got a different brand.  
>An hour later, another note was on the new glass.<br>"GENERIC CRAP"  
>He snickered.<br>He went back inside, curiosity overwhelming. He took a couple of apples, and after about ten minutes of conspicuously avoiding windows he had a glass of homemade apple juice.  
>Deciding he could stay up longer, he set the glass just outside the door.<br>Figuring he wasn't going to see anything, he went back into the kitchen to do some dishes by hand. He had a dishwasher, but the warm water was a lot better at keeping him awake.  
>He was damn near the end of all the dishes already not an hour later. He reached for the last glass and froze when his fingers scraped across paper.<br>"DONT GO INTO JUICE MAKING"  
>Wow, thanks.<br>John rolled his eyes, taking the note and putting it with the other two.  
>To be honest he was pretty startled - it had been completely silent. He would've heard the door open, right?<br>Drying his hands, he set the towel on the counter and got his own pad of sticky notes and a pen.  
>"OKAY, ENOUGH GAMES."<br>He left it on the door, yawning before heading into his room to get paja-  
>"WE ARENT PLAYING"<br>He froze at the sticky note on his window, writing on the sticky side.


	3. Chapter 3 (IMPORTANT NOTE)

**Hey, guys. Sorry I haven't been here for awhile. I'm just... a lotta shit's going on. And honestly I'm not sure if anyone cares besides Derp-For-Homestuck but my life is having a series of back-to-back crises and people are leaving me and it's just fucked up. Sorry about the wait but... Supernaturalstuck is gonna be 'cancelled' for awhile.**

**Also get prepared for a lot of feels-crushing sadstuck soon because IT'S A-COMIN FOLKS.**

**Okay, yeah, get to the point, whatever, here's your fuckin' chapter. Have a nice read, this one's cute.**

His eyes widened behind his glasses and he backed out of the room. Maybe he could sleep in Jake's old room-  
>"COME OUTSIDE"<br>"No, thank you. You're scary enough..." He tried not to whimper.  
>A flash of almost-white slapped another sticky.<br>"PLEASE"  
>"Will you leave me alone?"<br>"FINE"  
>The handwriting was scribbly now, almost annoyed.<br>John heaved a sigh, setting his fedora on the table and shrugging off his jacket so he was just in his jeans, shirt, and suspenders.  
>He slipped his sneakers on, heading outside cautiously.<br>"Okay, I-I'm here..."  
>Despite his fear he stood up straight, tall as he could. He held a hammer in one hand, the only thing he could think of on short notice.<br>"Come on out..."  
>A second passed, and a confusing blur of things happened seemingly at once.<br>He heard a swish in the grass, all of a sudden the hammer was pulled out of his hand and tossed aside and he was being... Hugged? Hugged.  
>It was a boy, probably not much older than he was and only a little taller. He had silvery blond hair, and wore a tee shirt and slacks.<br>John didn't take all of this in until later - he was shocked not only by the fact that he wasn't dead but that he was oddly comforted. Without thinking, because he really needed it after two years of reclusion, John hugged him back.  
>He just didn't care.<br>"I've wanted to do this for years." A low voice murmured next to his ear, a slight squeeze in the hug to emphasize 'years.'  
>John froze before pulling himself out of the embrace.<br>"Years? Have you been... watching me?"  
>"Admit it - you needed that hug. You have for a long time."<br>John felt the tingle of a blush he hadn't felt for a long time creep up his cheeks.  
>"Who are you, anyways?"<br>John looked at him, and he brushed the hair out of his face with a hand.  
>He had striking red eyes, very pale skin, and black war paint just above his cheekbones.<br>"I'm Dave. Dave Strider. I live out in these woods, I have for a little over a year and a half. That's when..." His voice trailed off, but he picked up almost immediately. "Anyways, I saw you that first day I lost myself in the trees. I watched, listened to you. One second you're chastising yourself for something, the next you're cursing out a squirrel about your problems at school." He smirked. "It's kind of cute, but I think it should stop. I've been listening to you for over a year. I can keep listening."  
>John took a second to absorb this information.<br>"Look, just... What do you want?"  
>"I want you to be happy. Over five hundred days and I've never once seen you smile."<br>John plastered a smile on his face, one that was clearly fake.  
>"There. Can you go now? I'm tired."<br>Dave was not amused.  
>"Why aren't you happy? I think your Dad would want you to move on." He said quietly, red eyes burning intensely.<br>John's face heated, and his eyes narrowed. "You don't get to make that call. I do. So you," He stepped closer, poking Dave's chest with a finger. "You can just run along back to your little treehouse."  
>A flash of hurt crossed Dave's face, then acceptance, then a bit of guilt before another flash of white and he disappeared.<br>John touched lightly the kiss he had left on his cheek.  
>Guilt washed over him and he trudged inside, feeling unreasonably hollow.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**here's the next chapter.**

**random reader: well, of course. apple juice is the shit.**

He didn't sleep that well, waking up repeatedly at random times.  
>He finally dragged himself out of bed around nine, deciding to forego church.<br>When he went to go brush his teeth he found a heart-shaped sticky on the mirror.  
>"SMILE"<br>Without even thinking about it, he just poured a glass of apple juice. He stuck a post it on the side before setting it on the outside table.  
>"I'M SORRY, DAVE."<br>He stayed inside all day, rereading all his old comic books and attempting to lose himself in them. Exactly what he had done for months after he lost his dad.  
>Except for some reason the sense of loss was greater this time.<br>He found himself passed out in the closet, next to his boxes of random nerdy crap. He rubbed his eyes, noting the sticky note on the box next to his head.  
>"ITS OKAY"<br>He got up, kinda wishing Dave had actually come back instead of playing the sticky note game.  
>Walking to the living room, he realized there was another heart-shaped one on his chest.<br>"I LOVE YOU"  
>He pulled it off, carefully sticking it in his pocket. Oddly enough, he wasn't surprised in the least. But he was most definitely blushing.<br>The games were over.  
>He pulled out two glasses, grabbing the bottle of apple juice and heading outside. He filled one up, setting it on the table across from him, and poured one for himself as he waited.<br>He didn't have to wait long.  
>Once again there was a blur, and the pale youth was lounging in the chair opposite him with the juice in hand like he'd been there the whole time.<br>John stood up, setting his glass on the table and stepping to stand over Dave.  
>He raised an eyebrow, about to say something, but for once John caught him off guard by reaching out to place a hand on the side of his face.<br>His eyes widened and he stopped saying whatever he was going to say, mouth still open.  
>John shut it with a kiss, quick and nervous but sweet that lasted mere seconds before he stepped back and just kinda sat down and looked at his juice.<br>He looked up, blushing more when Dave took his hand. He was smiling. John smiled back. And it was a real smile, a warm one. Dave grinned, shifting to sit right next to him and wrap his arm around his waist.  
>"I love you."<br>A statement. No hesitation, no debate, pure fact.  
>John blushed harder, opening his mouth but the words stuck in his throat. He swallowed, instead reaching into his pocket and handing him the heart-shaped sticky note.<br>Dave smirked, using two fingers to tip his chin up and give him a kiss that left him in a happy stupor for a minute.  
>"I trust I won't find you crying in the woods anymore?"<br>"Not unless you're with me."  
>"You can cry on my shoulder anytime."<br>John paused.  
>"Are you going to come to school with me?"<br>"I can, if you want. I don't think I need to enroll - if I do, they can put me in different classes than you. I'll just sit quietly, paying attention where you don't."  
>John smiled. "I don't care if you pay attention there or not. Just that you pay attention to me when I ask."<br>"Always." Dave returned the smile.  
>A thought crossed John's mind. "Then again, maybe you shouldn't come to school with me..."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Well, I, um... There are these kids, and they-"<br>"I won't let them hurt you."  
>"No, I mean they might make fun of me..."<br>"What ever for?"  
>John sighed, kissing his cheek. "This."<br>"John." Dave twisted to look him in the eyes. "They can't make fun of something that's serious. And if they do, who the hell cares? None of them have probably found their true love."  
>John swallowed, feeling guilty for worrying about it. Dave saw it in his eyes and smiled softly, pulling him into another kiss. John kissed back a bit, leaning into him, but his thoughts were elsewhere - dwelling on the concept of 'true love' and the fact that apparently he couldn't bring himself to say the 'l word' aloud, and why exactly that might be.<br>Dave realized he wasn't really into it and pulled back with a concerned look. "Something bothering you?"  
>"Yeah, I... Well, no, but- I just..." He sighed, giving up and resting his head on Dave's shoulder instead.<br>He rubbed John's arm sympathetically. "It's okay. I know."  
>"I know you do. It's not about that. It's about why."<br>"It's because of your Dad, right?"  
>John took a deep breath. "I-I never..." He couldn't even start the sentence without feeling terribly guilty and starting to cry.<br>Dave noticed this immediately, pulling him close and rubbing his back with one hand. "Shh... Don't cry. It wasn't your fault."  
>John wasn't convinced. "B-but it was... I n-never said... a-and he just wanted... so he- he made- and I-" He cut off with a hiccup, burying his face in Dave's shirt as he pet John's hair and made little shushing noises.<br>"It's okay, it's okay..."  
>After a couple minutes John sat up, determination like no other. He looked Dave straight in the eyes, crystal clear blue locking on red velvet cupcake. "I l-love you." His voice was shaky, but it held and he smiled at his achievement. Dave grinned proudly, and John hugged him with a short laugh.<br>"Achievement get - reveal your strong feelings for someone you've only known for like three days, even though he's known you for two years." Dave snickered, but hugged him back nonetheless.  
>"God, I'm tired..." John mumbled, eyes already closed.<br>"It's, like, noon."  
>"I've had terrible sleep the past couple days."<br>"Don't you have school tomorrow?"  
>"Ugh, yes..." John groaned.<br>"Are you going to introduce me to your friends?"  
>"They'll probably introduce themselves to you first.." He yawned a bit at the end, starting to doze off.<br>"Here, I'll bring you inside. You shouldn't sleep out here." Dave said quietly, hefting John up easily. John wrapped his arms around Dave's neck, snuggling into his chest as he stood. He brought John into his room, tucking him into the bed and lingering a little protectively.  
>John was awake enough to notice the absence of heat next to him, and lifted his arms up a bit as if to reach for Dave. "What're you doing?"<br>"What?"  
>"Aren't you gonna cuddle with me?"<br>Surprised, Dave raised his eyebrows. "Erm, sure..."  
>John smiled sleepily as Dave kicked off his boots, rather confusedly slipping under the covers with him.<br>John pressed up next to him, drawn to his warmth, and threw an arm over his chest. "Wha's wrong?"  
>"It's just been awhile... Since I've slept in, like, a real bed." Dave confessed, kissing the top of John's head and threading an arm around his shoulders.<br>"Well, it's been awhile since I had someone to sleep with, so be quiet." He mumbled, already falling asleep.  
>Dave chuckled quietly, deciding he should get some rest of his own and closing his eyes.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5 (SUPER IMPORTANT AWESOME NOTE)

**HEY EVERYBODY!**

**I'm not gonna be here tomorrow so Happy Valentine's Dave in advance, and I was supposed to have my most awesomest thing ever out today but I'm running late on it (please yell at me if it's not) but BELIEVE ME IT'S WORTH THE WAIT OH MY GOG YES I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR HOW MUCH YOU GUYS LOVE IT!**

**I wanna tell so much but I won't because ****_spoilersssss!_**

**So here's your next chapter.**

John woke with a greater sense of rest than he had in over three years, but found himself disappointed at the lack of body heat in the bed with him. "Dave...?" He called quietly, groping for his glasses on the nightstand. As soon as he slid them on he glanced at the clock - 8:14.  
>"Holy frickle frackle!" He shouted, scrambling to get out of bed and subsequently falling onto the floor. Class started at 8:40, he was going to be so late! He stood up, unceremoniously straightening his clothes from yest- wait a second. He looked down - yep, that was flannel. Apparently he was now in his pajamas. Huh. No time for that, though. He threw on a pair of jeans and a white button-up, complete with his bright blue suspenders. He dashed out the door, stopping dumbfounded in the kitchen.<br>Dave sat lounging at the table, cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. "Morning."  
>"Why the heck didn't you wake me up?! Class starts at-"<br>"8:40. I know. Now sit down and eat your waffles."  
>"But I'll be-"<br>"No, you won't. Eat, you look starved."  
>"But-"<br>Dave rolled his eyes. "Sit down."  
>John reluctantly plopped into his chair, watching as Dave set his cup down. "Well, eat." He prompted, disappearing for a moment.<br>John picked up his fork, taking a bite. Quite frankly they were amazing waffles.  
>He immediately started to wolf them down, barely remembering to breathe inbetween bites. Dave returned shortly with a comb, standing behind him and attempting to fix his hair as he ate. "Jesus, John, do you ever do anything to this?"<br>"Usually..."  
>"Whatever. Anyways, we should probably get going soon. It shouldn't take long, but I'm not sure of the time frame yet. I will be by tomorrow." Dave took his now-empty plate, motioning with his hand. "Go brush your teeth."<br>John complied, and he couldn't help but smile at the heart-shaped sticky note he had given Dave yesterday being stuck onto the mirror. His heart beat a little faster, and he could hear it, starting to blush as he stuck the toothbrush in his mouth.  
>When he was done he returned to the living room, raising an eyebrow tat Dave. "So how're we going to get there so quickly?"<br>"Easy. I'll carry you."  
>The thought of moving that fast made John pale, eyes wide. "Oh, hell no."<br>"C'mon. One try. You wouldn't want to be late, would you?"  
>John shook his head vigorously. "No. No, no, no, no, no. No thank you."<br>Dave looked a little hurt. "Trust me."  
>John frowned, but didn't say anything. His resolve was starting to waver.<br>"Please? I want to show you how unbelievably cool it is."  
>John sighed. "Just this once."<br>Dave grinned almost ecstatically, and before he knew it John was in his arms. He yelped, throwing his arms around Dave's neck and shutting his eyes tight. "You just relax, okay?"  
>"Relax? Like that's gonna happen."<br>"It's gonna be fine. Ready?"  
>"Nope."<br>"Good."  
>John heard the door click behind them, and the sensation that he was moving fast, very fast descended upon him with a rush of air and a flip to his stomach. He soon settled into it, keeping his eyes closed and imagining he was a bird or something. It was really quite spectacular, and he smiled, feeling Dave's arms squeeze him slightly.<br>They were there not ten minutes later, and Dave set him down just inside the woods behind the school. They walked out together, looking as if they had taken a shortcut.  
>John smiled, taking Dave's hand and sticking the other in the pocket of his jeans. They had about ten minutes left until first period, so they just kinda walked around for a bit.<br>"Oi, Johnny, is that a smile I see there?" A voice called to his left, and he looked up. It was Jake, the the English kid who had become John's friend through his sister Jade, who had moved out of state two years ago.  
>"Hey, Jake!"<br>Jake bounced up to them. He always had a lot of energy, and had known John since they were in the sixth grade. He wore a style similar to John's, green suspenders over a black button-up and black jeans. His hair had green highlights around the tips, and his emerald eyes always held a dazzle. "You didn't answer my question, Johnny! Are you or are you not capable of positive facial expressions now?!" He asked excitedly.  
>It made John smile more.<br>"Yeah, I guess I am."  
>Jake noticed Dave, and more importantly the way they were holding hands. His eyebrows shot up, and he smirked. "Oh, I see. Mr. Johnny 'no homo' attracts every gal at school to no avail, but once he finds a fellow he fancies, BOOM goes the handholding!" He laughed, punctuating the 'boom' with a clap, clasping them together.<br>Dave snickers, looking down at John, who blushes and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Jaaaaaaaake..."  
>"Ah, I'm just teasing. It's good that you've found yourself someone." He shook his head. "Terribly sorry - I'm Jake! Awful rude of me." He addressed Dave.<br>"Dave. Dave Strider." He offered his hand and Jake took it, shaking it vigorously.  
>"English, I might add. Jacob Elroy English. Nice to meetcha!"<br>John noticed the absence of an intimidating pair of shades after a second. "Hey, where's your anime boy, Jake?"  
>Jake's eyes got kinda sad. "Dirk... I don't want to talk about that..."<br>John felt his pain, even if he didn't know what happened to Dirk. "Aww, c'mere." He spread his arms for a hug, and Jake gave him a look. "C'mon, Jake. Class is gonna start soon, and I'm getting a hug before then."  
>Jake sighed, hugging him with a small smile. "I'll tell you later." He said quietly before walking off, most definitely not as bouncy as before.<br>"He was nice. I like him." Dave commented, taking John's hand again. "He should come over later. Now, where's your first?"  
>"Public Speaking. Down the J hall."<br>John started walking, pulling him along as they weaved through waves of teenagers. Once they arrived John sat at his table in the back, and Dave sat next to him.  
>"Why are you alone?"<br>"Because until recently I've been a bit of a zombie." He confesses with a shrug. "No one except Jake is going to get over it that easily." Although as John spoke a cute girl he recognized as Karkat's friend Terezi sat down next to Dave. "Hey, John!" She said with a cackle as if they'd been friends for years. "So, who's this?" She asked, gesturing to Dave and apparently not noticing their hands twined under the table as she pulled some serious flirting from behind her red-tinted glasses.  
>Dave smirked, probably getting an idea that could get him into trouble. "I'm Dave. Dave Strider."<br>"Well, you look like quite the cool kid, don't you?"  
>"I suppose I do."<br>John gave Dave a look, but he ignored it.  
>"Never seen you around, Dave!"<br>"I'm new."  
>"So, John, how do you already know Dave?"<br>Before John could answer Dave did it for him. "Oh, John's the reason I'm here, of course."  
>John caught the perplexed look on Terezi's face before Dave pulled him into a kiss, drawing the attention of pretty much the whole class as the bell hadn't rung yet and no one was actually looking towards the teacher.<br>John blushed, ducking his head afterwards but noticing Terezi scoff and return to her table with her other friends.  
>"You just had to, didn't you?!" He hissed, hearing Dave chuckle.<br>"Yeah, yeah I did."  
>"Jesus, Dave. Have a little respect for reputation..."<br>He merely raised an eyebrow in response, recalling their conversation with Jake. John promptly blushed, and the bell rang.  
>After a bit of a warm-up and some talking from the teacher, they ended up watching a TED talk video that lasted almost twenty minutes.<br>The moment the remaining off-task kids were looking forward, Dave shifted a bit to rest his head on John's shoulder, squeezing his hand. After about five minutes John questioned whether or not he was awake, but kept filling out the little green sheet about the TED talk he was trying to concentrate on. The chances of that happening diminished as the talk went on, with Dave's limp fingers in his and his breath on John's neck drawing his attention.  
>Once the screen was shut off and people started working on their projects, Dave revealed his consciousness with a kiss to the cheek and a smile. John abruptly blushed, and Dave smirked.<br>"You know, you're cuter when you go red like that." He whispered, which immediately made it worse.  
>"Remind me again why I love you..."<br>John kinda roped himself into that one with the wording there, practically inviting Dave to pull John into his lap and kiss him. John stifled a squeak, instead wrapping his arms around Dave's neck and kissing back. He already had most of his project done, and it wasn't due until Friday.  
>They were into it for a few minutes before someone hit the both of them in the head with a spoon, causing them to break apart in confusion.<br>The TA hovered over them, and John realized it was Jane. He had known her a few years ago, and she had been just a bit interested in him. Since then she'd been more into Jake, but she still looked a little jealous.  
>"Hey, you two! Either get your work done or take it into the hall, people are trying to work!"<br>John blushed furiously, but Dave wouldn't let him go. "S-Sorry, Jane!"  
>After that, and all throughout History, Dave managed to keep to himself, although he never let John's hand go. When they got to his Independent Writing class was when shit hit the fan.<br>IW was in the back of the art class, and John sat with one of his best friends - Vriska.  
>He didn't think she'd give much thought to the Dave thing.<br>Holy shit, was he wrong.  
>Vriska was literally the Drama Queen of the school - she was head and co-teacher of every Drama class. But there was no Drama third period, so she had IW with John.<br>When she walked into the room, she walked with a dangerous flair. Her long hair flowed to her waist, and her wireframe glasses made John's look dorky. He'd always liked having her as a friend because of her twisted sense of humor, and just because she liked being his friend.  
>When she sat down she seemed pretty friendly towards Dave, throwing him a wave and a smile.<br>"Hey, John! Who's thiiiiiiiis?" She asked dramatically.  
>"This is Dave. He's a friend, and he's new here."<br>"Well, he's cute. How'd you manage to drag him into this class with you?"  
>John shrugged. "It's a pretty cool class."<br>Recently John had been working on a story about his friends and their friends, incorporating cool sci-fi things like aliens and the whole thing was set in a video game. Vriska had been working on an adventure book about her and Terezi and a couple of their friends being pirates and stuff. John had read it up to chapter 8 - it was pretty cool.  
>"So, Dave, where you from?"<br>"Texas."  
>"Ooh, I like your accent. Might just put you in my book..."<br>Dave raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything for a minute. Instead he kissed John's hand and stood up. "Be right back."  
>Vriska was silent for about three seconds after he left. Then her eyes lit with a fire and she gave him a glare. "Oh." She said meaningfully.<br>John shrugged, looking down and blushing.  
>"I thought you weren't ready for a relationship yet."<br>He frowned, biting his lip. "I-I wasn't.. Not until Dave showed up..."  
>Vriska looked hurt. "John..."<br>"I'm sorry, Vriska..."  
>She pulled out her laptop, almost throwing it onto the table. "No. That- that's fine. That's fine. Everything is fine, John. I just thought maybe you'd pick me over some new kid, but obviously our bond isn't strong enough after three years."<br>"It's not like that... I love him..."  
>She was quiet for a long time, and flushed a bit with a guilty look.<br>"I'm sorry, John, I... I just..."  
>"I know, Vriska... And I wish it didn't hurt you so but I am in love with him and there's nothing I can do about it."<br>He placed a hand on her back, giving her an apologetic look.  
>"I-I'm happy for you, John..."<br>Dave returned, not questioning the scene but instead setting his hand on her shoulder briefly before taking his seat next to John and taking his hand again.  
>John decided to rewrite his story, making Dave one of the main characters along with John, Jade, and Roxy's sister Rose, the school therapist. She's a very interesting character.<br>He was stuck at home for awhile...  
>Maybe he'd call it Homestuck.<p> 


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